The Winslow Elementary Antics
by KitLee
Summary: Journey back in time to when the faculty & staff were in elementary school - "Recess" style.
1. Crime and Punishment

Disclaimer: All characters here are from "Boston Public" and do not belong to me. The idea of the recess society are from the cartoon "Recess."  
  
Author's Note: This is a Boston Public-Recess crossover. It's mostly like Boston Public, but the school is modeled after the one in Recess. Please r/r! Oh, and if you have any ideas for further installments, I would love to hear them.  
  
The Winslow Elementary Antics  
by KitLee  
  
??????  
  
Harry Senate was sitting in his fourth grade classroom, counting down the seconds until recess began. He couldn't wait to tell his friends his latest scheme.  
  
"Does anyone know the answer? How about you Mr. Senate?" the teacher Mr. Lipshultz asked him.  
  
"Huh? What's the question sir?" Harry asked, snapping back to reality.  
  
"The question was, Mr. Senate, who was the first president of the United States."  
  
"Um, it was - um - " Harry looked around at his friends and then smiled to himself again. "Clark Kent."  
  
"Mr. Senate, for that insubordinate attitude, I ought to - " Mr. Lipshultz began, but just then the bell rang, and everyone ran out of class before she could punish Harry.  
  
"Whew, that was close," Kevin said once they were outside.  
  
"Saved by the bell," Harry said. "Hey guys, I've got the best idea."  
  
"Well wait until everyone else catches up," Kevin said.  
  
Once their other friends, Milton, Lauren and Marylin had arrived, Harry pulled them together and shared his plan with them.  
  
*****  
  
It took place during lunch, which was right after morning recess. They snuck into the cafeteria early just to get everything set up. And then they waited. Finally their quarry came in.  
  
Scott Guber, the biggest nerd in school, was so busy reading a book that he didn't notice Milton creep up to him and tie his shoe laces together as he got his lunch. When he moved to walk again, he fell forward into his lunch.  
  
"Classic," Harry said, watching safely from his table.   
  
Milton crawled over and sat down. "We got Guber good again," he said proudly.  
  
"I really wish you guys wouldn't keep doing stuff like that to him," Lauren said.  
  
"Why not?" asked Harry.  
  
"Oh, come on Lauren. It's so funny," Kevin protested.  
  
"Yeah, but it's really mean to Guber," she said.  
  
"So?" asked Harry. "He's really mean to us. If he didn't keep doing stuff to us, we wouldn't have to get back at him."  
  
"Yeah Lauren," Milton added. "I think this is pretty lame considered to how much trouble he got us in yesterday."  
  
"Well," Marylin said. "All I'm worried about is King Stephen. You know he doesn't like kids to pick on each other."  
  
"Just because Guber's a sixth grader doesn't mean he should get away with being such a worm," Harry said. "Now lets go play some kickball."  
  
*****  
  
They ran outside and were soon busy playing kickball against the fifth graders when some of King Stephen's henchmen came up.  
  
"The king would like to have a word with you five," they said gravely before dragging them before King Stephen.  
  
King Stephen was an impressive figure sitting atop the jungle gym. He was rather tall and strong, and standing before him, Harry couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. But he had to at least pretend to be brave.  
  
"So, what's up kingy?" he asked flippantly.  
  
King Stephen gave him a fierce look. "It comes to my attention that you five have been pulling prank after prank on a certain Scott Guber. Is that true?"  
  
"Yes your majesty."  
  
"Mmm hmm. Now, I try to be a fair king and to rule freely, but this has gotten out of hand. So far this week you've tied his shoeslaces together and put vasaline on his glasses. Last week you pushed him down the stair and poisoned his lunch with tabasco sauce. The week before that you broke his arm - "  
  
"But that was an accident," Harry insisted. "We didn't mean to break the guy's arm."  
  
"Silence! From now on you five are to stop playing such pranks on Scott Guber. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes sir," Milton, Lauren, Marylin and Kevin said.  
  
"Harry?" King Stephen asked.  
  
"Oh I understand sir. If you whine enough to the king, you can get away with anything you want."  
  
The look on King Stephen's face told Harry that he'd gone too far. "I've had enough of your insubordination Harry. Now stop picking on Scott Guber or I'll send you to the dodgeball wall. You are dismissed." King Stephen waved his hand, and they climbed down.  
  
"Harry, you shouldn't have made him mad like that," Milton said. "He is the king after all."  
  
"Well I don't care," Harry said. "Are we gonna let some sixth grader with a stupid crown boss us around? Are we gonna bow down to Guber just because some kid on the jungle gym says so? No!"  
  
"So what are you gonna do Harry?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Guys, I've got a plan."  
  
*****  
  
The next day, Harry and his friends enacted their plan. They waited until lunchtime.  
  
"Hey Guber, come here," Harry shouted.  
  
Scott walked over cautiously. "What do you want?"  
  
"The guys and I just wanted to apologize for how mean we've been to you."  
  
"Oh," Scott said.  
  
"And as a gesture of our new goodwill," Harry gestured at the empty seat at their table, "we're inviting you to eat lunch with us. Do you want to?"  
  
The Milton and Kevin could barely keep in their laughter, but Scott didn't notice this.  
  
"Okay!" Scott said happily. He sat down in the blue plastic chair and felt something wet on the back of his pants. He jumped up and looked down at the seat, which he now saw was full of blue paint. The entire cafeteria erupted into laughter. Scott tried to look at the back of his pants and leave the cafeteria at the same time. In his haste, he tripped over the chair and wound up lying face first on the ground.  
  
This fueled the laughter. Humiliated, Scott quickly got up and hurried out of the cafeteria.  
  
"That was great," Harry said enthusiastically. "Did you see his face when he sat down." He started laughing again.  
  
"And then tried to look at his butt. He looked like a dog chasing its tail," Marylin giggled.  
  
"And when he fell over," Kevin laughed, "oh man, that guy is such a klutz."  
  
"Yeah," Harry said. "I think we proved our p- ." Suddenly Harry froze. The cafeteria and playground monitor, Mrs. Walsh was standing over them.  
  
"Come with me you five," she said. They meekly stood and followed her out.  
  
*****  
  
The five of them were given detention for their prank. Mrs. Walsh led them into the cafeteria as soon as class was out.  
  
"Now, you will sit here quietly and think about what you've done. I have better things to do than keep an eye on you, so Mr. Guber will watch you." She left, leaving little Scott Guber in charge.  
  
Even though Scott Guber was two years old than them, he was shorter than all of them except Lauren. He wore big glasses and rarely was seen without a book in his hand. Scott Guber helped out in the office during recess.  
  
He looked very seriously at them and said, "I don't want any shenanagans while I'm watching you." Then he settle down with his book to read.  
  
Lauren leaned over and whispered, "I think we should at least cut down on our pranks. I mean, we broke Guber's arm."  
  
"Hey," Kevin whispered. "All we meant to do was trip him. It's not our fault that he's such a klutz."  
  
"As much as I dislike Guber, I'd kind of like to spend some recesses not trying to get back at him. It's getting boring."  
  
"Besides," Milton added. "If I get in any more trouble, my parents are gonna kill me. Their gonna be really mad about this detention; I don't need any more."  
  
"Okay guys," Harry said. "We'll stop for now." But not forever, he thought. 


	2. Cupid, Cards and Crushes

Chapter 2 - Cupid, Cards and Crushes  
  
Lauren Davis was talking with her best friend Marylin Suttor about Valentine's Day.  
  
"Can you believe that tomorrow's Valentine's Day?" Marylin asked. "I'm so excited. I just love Valentine's Day."  
  
"Me too," Lauren said. "I've already got my cards ready." She sighed. "Valentine's Day is so sweet and romantic."  
  
Nearby, Harry, Kevin and Milton stood together leaning against a tree.  
  
"So what are they talking about?" Milton asked.  
  
"Probably Valentine's Day," Kevin said. "I already had to hear from Marylin about how cute it is."  
  
"Valentine's Day is so stupid," Harry complained. "I'm not going to give any."  
  
"You aren't?" Milton asked. "But what about the girls - won't they be upset?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "Probably. But I don't care. Why should I spend my hard earned allowance on some stupid cards?"  
  
"You're right Harry," Kevin said.  
  
"So are you guys giving any cards?"  
  
"Yes," Milton said.  
  
"I have to," Kevin said. "My mom already bought them. She says I have to be nice."  
  
"So Harry, are you really not going to give any Valentines?" Milton asked.  
  
"Yup," Harry said.  
  
*****  
  
The next day Marylin and Lauren were opening their Valentines on the steps during first recess. The boys had just run off to go have a snowball war. Most of the cards were just the kind that come in big boxes with stupid little puns inside. But when Lauren reached for the last card, she pulled out a very unique one.  
  
"Hey Lauren, whose that from?" Marylin asked.  
  
"I don't know." Lauren examined in closely. It was red construction paper in the shape of a heart with lace all around it. Silver glitter formed another heart inside it. The front just said "To Lauren - ." She opened it up, and on the inside were the words "Happy Valentine's Day. I love you more than you can know. Love ?."  
  
"It doesn't say who it's from," Lauren said.  
  
"Really?" Marylin took it. "Wow. Whoever made it must really like you a lot."  
  
"That's the thing: I can't think of anyone who would do something this nice for me."  
  
"What about one of the guys?"  
  
"But I already have cards from Milton and Kevin."  
  
"What about Harry?"  
  
"I didn't get a card from him. You don't think that he - ?"  
  
"Well I didn't get a card from Harry either."  
  
"So maybe he just didn't give them."  
  
"Is there anyone else who's Valentine you're missing?"  
  
Lauren rumaged through her sack. "Nope. Their all here."  
  
"Then it's got to be Harry. Who else could have done it?"  
  
Lauren looked at Harry, busy pelting snowballs at people. "Wow. I can't believe Harry would do this. It's so romantic and sweet." She paused. "You know, Harry's really cute, don't you think?"  
  
Marylin studied Harry carefully. "Sort of - I guess."  
  
Lauren smiled at him. "I wonder if this means he wants to go out?" She sighed again.  
  
Marylin shook her head. "You've got it bad Lauren."  
  
"Got what?"  
  
"Love."  
  
Lauren just turned to watch the snowball war again and sighed.  
  
*****  
  
Harry noticed that Lauren was acting very oddly around him the rest of that day. She kept looking and smiling at him. It was pretty weird. So finally he cornered Maryiln.  
  
"Hey Marylin, do you think Lauren is acting weird?"  
  
"What do you mean weird?"  
  
"Well, she keeps look and smiling at me. And she's sighing a lot too. What, did all that Valentine's candy damage her brain or something?"  
  
"It's because of your card of course."  
  
"What card?"  
  
Marylin stared at him. "What do you mean 'what card'?"  
  
"I mean what card?"  
  
"So you didn't give it to her?"  
  
"Of course not. I didn't give anyone cards. It's stupid."  
  
"Oh no," Marylin said. "I have to go find Lauren." She ran off, leaving Harry behind very confused.  
  
*****  
  
Marylin found Lauren getting some books for Mr. Lipshultz from the library.  
  
"So Harry didn't give you that card Lauren," Marylin concluded.  
  
"Oh," Lauren said.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," Lauren gave a small smile. "I guess I should have realized that Harry wouldn't do something like that."   
  
"Are you sure you're fine?"  
  
"Of course Marylin. It's not that big a deal. I just wonder who did send that to me."  
  
The two walked past the office with the books and inside, Scott Guber stared at Lauren and wondered how she'd liked his Valentine. 


	3. The New Kid

Chapter 3 - The New Kid  
  
Marylin and Kevin were walking past the office to get to class one morning when they first saw the new kid. She was sitting in one of the little chairs outside the principal's office.  
  
"Hey, I wonder who the new kid is," Marylin said.  
  
"Maybe she's in our grade," Kevin suggested.  
  
"I hope not," Marylin said. "You know who she looks like - the Preps."  
  
Every elementary school probably has them, those ditzy, preppy girls who can't wait to go out in middle school and high school. Girls who worship pop stars and wear makeup and glitter nail polish.  
  
"Come on," Kevin grabbed Marylin's hand. "We're gonna be late." The two of them ran to class and barely slid into class before the bell rang.  
  
"Hey Harry," Kevin whispered as Mr. Lipshultz wrote that week's spelling words on the blackboard.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Marylin and I saw a new kid sitting in the principal's office this morning. She looked about our age."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. I wonder - "  
  
"If you two boys are done whispering," Mr. Lipshultz said, "I'd like to introduce you to someone." He motioned at a girl standing next to him. "This is Louisa, and she'll be joining our class." He pointed at the seat between Lauren and Jenna Miller, leader of the Preps. "You can sit right there."  
  
All eyes were on Louisa as she walked to her desk and sat down. She was a little short, with blondish hair and tan skin. She was wearing a pink dress and sandals, with a pink headband holding her hair back. Pink glitter nail polish adorned her fingernails.  
  
"Oh great," Harry whispered to Kevin, "another prep."  
  
After she got settled, the class continued with their spelling lesson. Jenna Miller took this opportunity to lean over a pass Louisa a note.  
  
Louisa was pretty nervous about being new in school. If only her mom hadn't made her wear that dumb dress! Then Jenna's note fell onto her desk. Louisa opened it.   
  
'Meet me by the door during first recess. Love your ensemble.'  
  
*****  
  
At ten o'clock, the first recess bell rang. Louisa met Jenna and her friend Tina right outside the classroom door.  
  
"Hi," Louisa said a bit uncertainly. She wasn't exactly sure why these girls were hanging out with her.  
  
"Hi! I'm Tina, and that's Jenna. Do you want to hang out with us?"  
  
"Okay, sure," Louisa said.  
  
"Great! Come on." They led her outside, babbling about some magazine or something. Louisa was only partially paying attention.  
  
"Hey, I'm gonna get a drink. I'll catch up, okay?" Louisa said.  
  
The girls nodded, barely slowing their movement to the far end of the playground.  
  
Louisa walked over to the drinking fountain and ran into one of the boys in her class.  
  
"Hey, watch where you're going," she snapped.  
  
"Sorry," the boy said, but he didn't look very sorry. "Nice dress," he smirked.  
  
Louisa nearly hit him for his rude comment and insufferable smirk, but she remembered what her mother had told her that morning and reigned in her temper. She breathed slowly and counted in her head to ten.  
  
"So, um - "  
  
"Milton," he supplied.  
  
"Yeah Milton. I saw you playing kickball over there. Can I play?"  
  
"You?" he asked incredulously. "Aren't you afraid you'll break a nail or something?"  
  
That did it. Louisa snapped, and before anyone knew what was happening, she'd grabbed Milton and was sitting on him, hitting him with no regard for her dress or her nails.  
  
Milton's friends ran over from their kickball game to try and break up the fight, but by the time they got there a large ring of kids had already formed around them. Kevin finally waded in and pulled them apart before Mrs. Walsh could get them. By the time she'd arrived, the crowd had dispersed, and Kevin had dragged Milton over to one of the gigantic tires where their friends were waiting.  
  
Louisa picked herself up and tried to get the worst of the mud out of her dress. Jenna and Tina sauntered up.  
  
"What do you think you were doing, beating that Milton kid up? I guess you aren't as cool as we thought you were. See ya 'round - loser," they said.  
  
She'd lost even their friendship. Lunch was terrible; no one sat near her or talked to her or anything. She quickly ate her lunch and decided to spend the rest of second recess in a tree on the playground where no one could bother her.  
  
Marylin and Lauren were walking around the playground. The boys were still in there, doing disguisting things with their lunches, but Lauren and Marylin hadn't wanted to have to watch that any more.  
  
"Hey Marylin, isn't that the new girl?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Up there, in the tree," Lauren said, pointing.  
  
"We should probably say hi," Marylin said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You know, Milton'll be furious when he hears that we were nice to the girl that beat him up," Marylin remarked as she and Lauren made their way to the new girl.  
  
"I guess. Still, we should be nice to her. It's probably hard to be the new kid."  
  
"Yeah. And now we know she's not a prep."  
  
"Hey new girl," Marylin called.  
  
"My name's not new girl; it's Louisa," she yelled back.  
  
"Hey Louisa then," Marylin yelled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Come on down, we want to talk to you," Lauren said.  
  
Louisa deftly dropped down. "Hi," she said nervously. "You guys aren't gonna beat me up or something for beating up your wimpy friend, are you?"  
  
"Nah," Marylin said.  
  
"Look," Lauren said, "we were wondering if you wanted to hang out with us."  
  
Louisa looked them over. She thought about their friends, even that wimp she'd beaten up. "Okay," she said.  
  
"Great. Come on," Lauren said, "we'll introduce you to the group."  
  
"Okay." And so Louisa walked back to the cafeteria to meet the rest of her new friends. 


	4. The Field Trip, Part 1

Chapter 4 - The Field Trip, Part 1  
  
When Louisa came to school one day, all of her friends were clustered on the front steps, talking earnestly.  
  
"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked.  
  
"Hey Louisa," they said.  
  
"Well I'm gonna fly the space ship," Harry said.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Haven't you heard about the big trip?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, I think my parents got something about it in the mail. So what's the big deal? It's just a dumb field trip."  
  
They all looked at Louisa in shock. "It's not just any dumb field trip," Marilyn told her. "This is the best field trip of our lives."  
  
"Every year," Lauren explained, "the fourth, fifth and sixth graders go on a field trip together. It lasts three days and two nights. Last year they had to go to Washington D.C., but this year we get to go to the Space Center."  
  
"Really?" Louisa asked. "Sounds cool."  
  
"Not just that," Harry added, "but we get to be in a space mission."  
  
"It's not a real shuttle mission," Marilyn said. "It's a fake mission-to-Mars thing. Here," she handed Louisa a note. "Mr. Lipschultz gave them to us yesterday while you were at the dentist."  
  
Field Trip  
  
As you know, every year the fourth, fifth and sixth graders go on an overnight field trip. This year the trip will be to the Space Center, approximately five hours away by bus. We will be taking Charter buses and staying in a hotel. Each room will have four students and one chaperone.  
  
All students will be split into eight groups. Each group will have a combination of students from all grades. The groups will work together during the entire field trip to complete a mock mission to Mars. Half of the team will be in a simulated mission control, and the other half will be on the simulated space shuttle.  
  
All students must have their parent/guardian sign the permission slip and medical release forms to attend by the two weeks before the trip. Turn the forms into the main office. Group assignments will be available by the Friday afternoon before the field trip.  
  
"Cool," Louisa said, handing the form back to Marilyn.  
  
"Yeah," Kevin said.  
  
"I hope we're all in the same group," Lauren said.  
  
"I hope we get to go in the space shuttle," Harry added.  
  
The bell rang, and they filed into class, eager to hear more about the field trip.  
  
*****  
  
A few weeks later Louisa was standing in a long line before school with the other students who had forgotten to turn in their permission slips before the last minute. She and Harry were at the end of the line.  
  
"Next!" a short sixth grader chirped from behind the desk. The line inched forward. But right before Louisa and Harry got to the desk, the 8:30 bell rang.  
  
"I'm sorry," the boy said. "But I can't accept those permission slips."  
  
"Aw Scott, why not?"  
  
"The notes clearly state that they were to be handed in before 8:30 today, and it is now," Scott Guber checked his watch, "8:31. You can't go on the field trip. Rules are rules."  
  
"Don't be such a priss," Harry complained.  
  
Scott stood up straighter. "I am *not* a priss. Those are the rules, and as the office assistant, I must obey them."  
  
Louisa leaned over and grabbed his tie. "Listen here you little prick. We were one stupid minute late. Just one! So let us turn them in our forms and go on the field trip."  
  
"And how are you going to make me?" Scott asked, full of bravado.  
  
Louisa stuck her fist under his nose. "I think my five friends will be happy to help me."  
  
"All right, all right," Scott said quietly. "Just don't hurt me."  
  
Louisa let him go, and Scott open up the folder and put their forms in there.  
  
*****  
  
Later that day they found out who was going to be in their groups. The gang wound up in the same group - group 3. Group 3A (Steven, Harry, Marilyn, Milton, Louisa, Jenna and others) was going to be in the shuttle, while group 3B (Lauren, Kevin, Scott Guber, Tina and others) was going to be in mission control.  
  
"Well at least we get King Steven in our group," Milton said. "He's pretty nice."  
  
"I guess so," Louisa said. "But I can't believe we're stuck with Guber. He's such a priss."  
  
"Yeah," Harry said. " 'Don't put the form in the yellow envelope. Don't run in the halls. Don't ridicule teachers,' " he mocked.  
  
" 'Don't eat with your fingers. Don't squirt water on other people. Don't step across the red line.' " Kevin added.  
  
" 'Don't mess up my filing system. Don't touch my things. Don't write on the desk.' " Milton added.   
  
The rest of the group chimmed in, jumping around and mimicking Scott and his endless supply of 'Don't's.  
  
Up on top of the monkey bars, King Steven looked down at them and wished they wouldn't make fun of Scott, his friend.  
  
Inside, Scott stared out of the window from behind his desk, daydreaming about the exciting field trip to come, with Lauren. 


End file.
